Huddersfield Man Jailed for 20 Years After Unprovoked Knife Attack Leaves Victim Fighting for Life

A Huddersfield man who launched a savage, unprovoked knife attack on another man in a residential garden has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for attempted murder.

Sarmad Khawaja, 42, of Alder Street in Fartown, was handed the two-decade custodial term at Leeds Crown Court on Friday, July 31, 2026, after a jury found him guilty of attempting to kill 33-year-old Zeeshan Kiani.  

The court heard that the violent incident unfolded on the afternoon of August 7, 2025, in the garden of a property on Alder Street. Emergency services were alerted shortly after 4:20 pm to reports that a man had sustained serious stab injuries.

West Yorkshire Police officers attending the scene discovered Khawaja, who had already been disarmed by courageous members of the public who intervened prior to the arrival of law enforcement. Khawaja was immediately detained and arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.  

He was subsequently charged and appeared before Leeds Magistrates’ Court on August 9, 2025.

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The victim, Mr Kiani, was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries resulting from the severe degree of violence used during the attack.

Following a trial at Leeds Crown Court, a jury convicted Khawaja of attempted murder in May.  

Throughout the court proceedings, no motive for the assault was ever made public. Police and prosecutors consistently framed the knife attack as completely unprovoked, and no evidence of any prior dispute, argument, or connection between the two men was presented to the court.

Both the defendant and the victim are understood to be from Huddersfield’s Pakistani community. No victim impact statement from Mr Kiani or his family was submitted to the court during the sentencing hearing.  

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Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Thompson, of Kirklees District CID, welcomed the 20-year term handed down by the court. Detective Constable Thompson stated that the jury's verdict was a stark demonstration of just how tragic the assault could have been, noting that the violence used left the victim with life-threatening injuries.

The officer expressed hope that seeing Khawaja brought to justice and sentenced would bring a measure of comfort and closure to Mr Kiani.  

Under standard UK sentencing guidelines governing serious violent offences, Khawaja will be required to serve two-thirds of his 20-year sentence in custody—approximately 13 years and four months—before becoming eligible to apply for release on licence for the remainder of his term.